


No Thanks to Rimsky-Korsakov

by sunspot (unavoidedcrisis)



Category: Leverage
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-15 21:16:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15421758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unavoidedcrisis/pseuds/sunspot
Summary: An episode coda to s3e4, The Scheherazade Job.Alec is pissed and leaves abruptly. Parker follows.





	No Thanks to Rimsky-Korsakov

“Hardison.”

Alec hears his name but he doesn’t slow and he doesn’t turn around. He’s pissed, feeling beyond used, and he just wants to be home.

“Alec!”

He stops and turns around when he hears that, and Parker crashes right into him at a jog. “Oh!” He tries to steady her before she falls, but they both end up in the hedge.

“Sorry,” she says, “sorry!”

Alec picks them both up and starts walking again. Two blocks later, Parker is still at his elbow and when he finally has the nerve to look at her, she’s staring at him with her eyes narrowed.

“Um...”

“I’m sorry that Nate did that,” Parker says, suddenly looking away from him, like watching him that closely has made her uncomfortable. “That was... shitty of him.”

“I know,” Alec huffs. “It was damn unfair, and it was mean, too. He’s right though, I wouldn’t do something like that. Wouldn’t ever. Doesn’t mean I can’t run my own crew though; just means I’ll run a crew my own way. Without exploiting my people and lying to the team. Nothing wrong with that way at all. Nate just doesn’t seem to get it.” He doesn’t realize he’s rambling, but Parker does and she pokes him in the shoulder.

“It’s Nate’s way and it sucks sometimes,” she says. “But Hardison...”

“Yeah. But I’m still angry.”

They walk in silence for another block. “Where are we going?” Parker finally asks.

He looks around and doesn’t recognize anything. “Nowhere,” he admits.

“If you mean that literally, okay, but if you were going for a more philosophical answer, that’s kind of depressing, Hardison. Do you think Eliot’s flirting with the reporter?”

Alec grimaces. “Girl, I do not want to think about the logical end to any of that ugly business.”

“Don't know that _ugly_ is the right word...” Parker says, head tilted slightly in thought.

“Oh god, I can’t unhear hear that,” Alec groans, but tries to hide his smile. Parker has a way of coming out with things that make him laugh and cringe at the same time. Other than the jumping off high buildings and breaking into places to steal expensive things, making Alec feel mortified and amused at the same time is exactly in Parker’s wheelhouse.

“It was good,” she says out of nowhere, prompting Alec to look around to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

“Parker?”

“You played that song and it was good. Really good.”

Alec is glad she can’t see him blushing. “I… Thank you.”

“It was as good as the way you hack things, or the way I steal things, or the way Nate drinks things. Maybe it was better, I don’t know, I don’t understand the way music works.”

He touches her elbow as he stops walking. She stops too, confused. “What?” she asks, frowning. “Did I say--”

Alec wraps his arms around her back and pulls her into a tight hug. “Thanks, Parker,” he whispers into her hair. It’s a long second before she hugs him back, but when she does it is just as tight and fierce.

“Thanks yourself,” she says. “It was incredible, Hardison, and you did it yourself because you’re incredible too. Not anyone else helped you play that music, not even Nate, no matter what he says. Because it came from your heart.”

“You’re not making sense,” he tells her, kissing the top of her head and slipping his hand into hers. “But it’s okay, I’m used to it.”

“I felt it,” Parker tells him. “From your heart to mine.”

A lot of the time, Parker says all sorts of things that confuse, bemuse, or amuse him, but this time he thinks he knows exactly what she means.


End file.
